§ Sir John FarrTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has yet completed his analysis of the manner in which the beef special premium scheme is now being operated and the desirability of moving to an on-farm basis.
§ Mr. Donald ThompsonThe new scheme has been running for only a month, and it is far too early yet to draw any conclusions. However, the transition from the variable premium scheme appears to have gone reasonably smoothly and the first payments under the new scheme have already been made.
§ Sir John FarrTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will consider increasing from 1 January 1990 the number of qualifying animals in the new beef régime.
§ Mr. Donald ThompsonThe premium scheme applied in other member states until March this year included a limit of 50 head on the number of qualifying animals. We were able to get that figure up to 90 head in the recent negotiations on the new scheme. I strongly opposed the inclusion of any headage limit and voted against the scheme even with this higher limit. I shall continue to make clear my opposition to such limits in the Agriculture Council.
§ Sir John FarrTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will provide details of(a) the actual amount paid to beef producers in the last available 12 months of the former variable beef premium and (b) his estimate of the total amount of the new beef special premium which will be paid to producers, in the first 12 months of operation.
§ Mr. Donald ThompsonOur provisional estimate of the amount of beef variable premium paid to United Kingdom producers, net of drawback on intervention and clawback on exports, in the financial year 1988–89 is £103 million. Our current estimate of the likely expenditure on the beef special premium in 1989–90 is £44 million.